Clinical Reference Systems: Pediatric Advisor 10.0
Early Morning Riser
DESCRIPTION
Some children awaken before their parents do, usually
between 5 and 6 AM. They are well rested and raring to go.
They come out of their rooms or call out from their cribs
and want everyone to wake up. They are excited about the
new day and want to share it with their parents. If the
parents don't respond, they make a racket. Such children
are early morning risers.
CAUSES
Most of these children have had plenty of sleep. They are
no longer tired. They are not waking early on purpose.
They may have been put to bed too early the night before,
had too many naps, or had naps that were too long.
Most children need 10 to 12 hours of sleep at night.
However, some children need less than this. Such children
often have a parent who needs only 6 hours or so of sleep at
night.
Some children may begin waking early in the spring because
sunlight streams through their windows. (This problem is
easily remedied by getting dark shades or curtains.)
Finally, children who are fed early breakfasts or allowed
into their parents' beds early in the morning, develop bad
habits. These habits may persist even after the original
causes are removed.
HELPING YOUR CHILD SLEEP LATER
- Reduce naps.
Assume your child is getting too much sleep during the
day. Most children over 1 year of age need only one
nap, unless they are sick. If cutting back to one nap
doesn't help, shorten the nap to a maximum of one and a
half hours. Also, make sure your child gets plenty of
exercise after her nap, so she'll be tired at night.
- Delay bedtime until 8 or 9 PM.
Reducing naps and delaying bedtime should cure your
child unless he has a below-average sleep requirement.
- Establish a rule.
"You can't leave your bedroom until your parents are up.
You can play quietly in your bedroom until breakfast."
Also, tell your child, "It's not polite to wake up
someone who is sleeping. Your parents need their
sleep."
- If your child sleeps in a crib, leave her there until
6 AM.
Put some toys in her crib the night before, but not ones
that will raise her above the mattress if she stands on
them. Don't include any surprises or treats in her toy
bag or she'll awaken early, as children do on holiday
mornings. If she makes loud noises with the toys,
remove those particular toys.
If she cries, go in once to reassure her and remind her
of the toys. If she cries again, ignore it. If crying
continues, visit her briefly every 15 minutes to
reassure her that all is well and remind her that most
people are still sleeping. Don't turn on the lights,
talk much, remove her from the crib, or stay more than 1
minute.
- If your child sleeps in a regular bed, keep him in his
bedroom until 6 AM.
Get your child a clock radio and set the music alarm for
6 AM. Tell him he can't leave his bedroom until the
music comes on. Tell him he can play quietly until
then. Help him put out special toys or books the night
before. If he comes out of his room, put up a gate or
close the door. Tell him that you'll be happy to open
the door as soon as he is back in his bed. If this is a
chronic problem, put up the gate the night before.
- If you meet strong resistance, change the wakeup time
gradually.
Some children will protest about the new rule,
especially if they have been crawling into their
parents' beds in the morning. In that case, move ahead
a little more gradually. If your child has been
awakening at 5 AM., help her wait until 5:15 for 3 days.
Set the clock radio alarm for that time. After your
child has adjusted to 5:15, change the alarm to 5:30.
Move the wakeup time forward every 3 or 4 days.
- Praise your child for not waking other people in the
morning.
A star chart or special treat at breakfast may help your
child wait more cooperatively.
- Change your tactics for weekends.
Many parents want their child to sleep in on Saturday
and Sunday mornings. If this is your preference, keep
your early morning riser up an hour later the night
before. If you are using a clock radio to help your
child know when he can get up, turn off the alarm or
reset it for an hour later. As a last resort, put a
breakfast together for your child the night before and
allow him to watch a preselected videotape.
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